Dumping-car.



W. D. SKIDMORE.

DUMPING GAR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1914. v Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

3% is a side elevation of a car constructed actrimaran n. smmronn, or rntirair, new roan.

DUMPING-CAR.

ataa aa To all whom it'ma concern."

Be itknown t at l, WILLIAM D. SKID- MORE, a citizen of the United. States, and a resident of Pelham, Westchester county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dumping- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railroad cars, more particularly to that class of cars known as (lumping cars, such as are used, for instance,

in railroad construction, for conveying ballast, filling material, and the like to such places as .the same may be needed, and dumping the same upon or at the slde of the right of way; but it will be readily under- Flt stood that cars constructed according to my invention may be used for other purposes as well as those above specified.

.The object of my invention is to provide a-carwhich shall be sim le in construction and at the same time e 'cient and easy of operation, and which shall be adapted to dump its load either quickly and all at the one time, or slowly and at a predeterm ned rate of discharge, and in which the ad ustment of the mechanism so as to regulate the rate of discharge may be easily and accurately efiected.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinat on of various devices and parts, as shown 1n the accompanying drawings, and hereinafter particularly described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 cording to my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, showlng the car in its normal position, that is to say, with the carrying hopper approximately horizontal; and Fig. 3 is a similar sectlon, showing the car in its dumping position or with the carrying hopper inclined or tllted to its maximum extent.

][n' carrying my invention into efi'ect ll provide for the lower part of the car a running gear of the common or any sultable term or construction, comprising SlllS and ll, and bolsters 12, which are mounted on twobogie trucks, provided with journal boxes 13 forming the bearings for the ends of the axles of the wheels 14. The upper or carrying portion of the car is pivotally elevated above the running gear above r'eterredto by the construction here- Bpeclfication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 49th..

after to be described. This carrying portlon comprises a floor 15, to the under side of which are secured spreader plates 16, whlch are trunnioned in bearing plates 17. The floor is provided with ends 51, and sides 47 and 48, the latter being capable of being elevated for discharging the load, as hereinafter described.

When the body of the car is in its normal erect or carrylng position, as shown in Fig. 2, 1t 1s so held partly by the chains 60 and 61 which are attached to the body of the car and WhlCll pass downward and under and around pulleys 63 and 62 respectively and then pass horizontally to the end of the car and are wound for a portion of their length around a Windlass shaft 36. The principal means for holding the body in its normal erect position however is the system of supports and levers now to be described.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the supporting rods 37 are pivotally attached to the body of the car at 38. These rods 37 are pivotally secured at 40 to a shorter rod 39. Secured to the bolster 12 is a plate 41 having sloping sides and notches 42 near its base. On the lower ends of the shorter rods 39 are studs or pins 39. It will be observed that the pivoted arms 39 and 37 form a sort of a toggle-joint, and when said rods are brought into alinement they support the body of the car in its normal vertical position.

Pivotally secured in the bearingplate 17 are rods or shafts 45, which are provided with levers 46 and 46. The levers 46 are pivotally connected at 44 to links 44, the other ends of which are connected to the pivots 40 which connect the rods 37 and 39. It is obvious that upon swinging the upper end of either of the lovers 46 outward, for instance, the lever 46 on the left of Fig. 2, the support of that side of the car bed is removed, and said body is free to tilt lnto the position shown in Fig. 3.

Any suitable mechanism may be used for tilting the car. purposes of illustration is as follows: Suitably secured to the running gear is a cylinder 56, provided with suitable ports (not shown) and with pipes leading from the break air-supply reservoir or pipes, and these pipes are of course supplied with the necessary valves and with means for operating the same. This cylinder is provided The form shown herein for be moved and the car body tilted. Before operating the above mentioned mechanism the devices holding the chains 60 and 61 must of course be released, and the mechanism relating thereto will now be described. As heretofore stated, the said chains 60 and 61 are wound for a portion of theirlength around the Windlass-shaft 36. The end of this shaft is preferably squared, so as to receive a crank for rotating same to wind up the chains when it is desired to restore the car body to its normal position after dumping; and it will be obvious that upon rotating this shaft and winding up both of said chains thereon until they are quite taut, the upper side of the tilted body will be drawn down by one of the chains, the slack of the other chain being at the same time taken up, and that when the body becomes level both chains will be tight. \V hen this occurs the studs 39 of the supports 39 will rest in the notches 42, and the Windlass shaft 36 be held from unwinding by the engagement of the pawls 31 with the ratchet-wheels 33 (see Fig. 1), and allowed to unwind when so desired by the release of these pawls.

The shaft 36 is journaled in the bracket 32, and to this bracket is pivoted an arm 70. Pivotally secured to the outer end of this arm 70 is the pawl 31 above mentioned. At the same point is pivotally secured the lower end of a rod 72, the upper end of which is pivotally secured to a lever 75, having a handle 25. The lever 7 5 is pivotally secured in a bracket 74, and it has a pivotal lock 27, secured to the lever 75 at 28, the lower end 29 of which engages in the rack 76 which is secured to the floor 15, being held in en-' gagemcnt therewith by a spring 31 in a manner which will be well understood.

There are two ratchet wheels 33 on the shaft 36, and two sets of pawls and operating devices therefor. The said ratchet wheels are so set on the shafts that the teeth of one of said wheels are not in register with the teeth of the other, but alternate in position, so that when one of the pawls is disengaged from' its corresponding ratchet wheel the shaft is free to unwind to the extent of one-half the distance between the teeth, being stopped after rotating to that extent by the other pawl and ratchet. If then the second pawl and ratchet are disengaged and the first thrown into engagement, the shaft can unwind another half-tooth,

and so on. This enables the car to be either tilted to its full extent quickly, by disengaging both pawls and ratchets, thus allowmg the restraining chain to quickly unwind to the fullest extent, or to be tilted a very small distance and held there or successively tilted more and more, step by step, by disengaging said pawls and ratchets alternately, keeping one set in engagement while the other set is disengaged.

Suitable mechanism is provided for raising the side wall of the lower half of the car as the car is tilted in order to allow the escape of its contents. One form of mechanism which may be used for this purpose is shown in Fig. 3.

The operation of a car constructed according to my invention is as follows: When it is desired to dump the entire contents of the car quickly in one spot, the body supports 37 and 39 are disengaged, by pulling the lever -16, on the side from which the discharge is to occur. The air is then admitted into the cylinder 56 (if this form of tilting mechanism is used,) on one side or the other of the piston 55 as the case may be, so as to tilt the car body in the proper direction, and the pawls and ratchets of the Windlass-shaft 36 are disengaged. The body then tilts to its full extent, the side heiiigat the same time elevated automatically, and the contents slide out. After the discharge is completed, the air in the cylinder 56 is allowed to exhaust, a crank is applied to the square end of the shaft 36 and the same rotated so as to rewind the chains, which restores the car body to its normal or level position, the pawls 31 preventing any back tilting during the operation.

While the car body is tilting back to its normal. or level position, the supporting mechanism above described tends toward the supporting position. The operation of the same is as follows: Suppose the mechanism to be in the position shown in Fig. 3, and the car body to begin to assume the level position. The support 37 is of course lowered, thereby carrying down the outer cnd of the link 4-4, which swings on its pivoted inner end. The outer end of the link -'l-l: at first swings outward, and then inward. as it descends through an arc of its circle, the center of which is the pivot ll. When the support 37 and the outer end of the link It reach their lowest position, the support 3 which is freely suspended from the outer end of the link 4-1, hangs vertically approximately over the notch 4-2. The arm -16 is then operated by hand, moving it toward the right in Fig. 3, the result of which is to throw the short arm 4-6 downward and outward, thereby moving the link -lloutward and straightening out the pivoted supports 37 and 3!), which constitute a togglemamas 39 to seat itself firmly in the notch 42 and causing the whole mechanism to assume the position shown-in Fig. 2.

It is obvious that the sizes and proportions of the difl'erent supports, arms, links and other parts above described should be so designed and adjusted as to adapt the mechanism to properly carry out the operation above described.

I do not limit myself to the exact form and proportions shown in the drawings, and it is obvious that the lengths and proportions of the different parts and also the position of the notch 42, can be varied so as to produce a practicable working mechanism, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; Should the lower end of the support 39, when descending, show a tendency to not fall into the notch 42, owing to the car being at the time on an inclined portion of the road bed, or for any other reason, the said lower end may be guided into the notch 42 by hand. If desired the outer inclined wall of the notch 42 may be extended upward and outward a considerable distance beyond that shown in the drawings, such changes being obvious to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, granted upon this application (certain portions of the mechanism here necessarily shown but not claimed being claimed in divisional applications hereof) is as follows:

1. In a dumping car, the combination with a car body, running gear, and means adapted to pivotally support said body upon said running ear; of means adapted to maintain said hotly in a horizontal carrying position, comprising pivotally connected supports adapted to support one side of said body when said supports are extended and to allow said side to lower and the body to tilt when said supports are flexed and when in another posltion to swing freely, and means adapted to flex and to extend such supports.

2. In a dumping car, the combination with a car body, running gear, and means adapted to pivotally support said body upon said running gear; 0 means adapted to maintain said body in a horizontal carrying position, comprising a support pivotally connected to said body, a second su port pivotally connected to said first name support, a rest for the lower end of said second named support, means adapted to place said supports in an extended supporting osition and to so maintain them and to ex said supports so as to ermit said car body totilt, and means a apted to place said supports in another position, where they will swing freely.

3. In a dumping car, the combination with a car body, running gear, and means adapted to pivotally support said body upon said running gear; of means adapted to maintain said body in a horizontal carrying position, said means comprising a support pivotally connected to said body, a second support pivotally connected to said first named support, a rest for the lower end of said second named support, and means adapted to place said supports in an extended supporting position and to so maintain them and to flex said supports to as to permit said car body to tilt, said means comprising a bell-crank lever pivotally attached to said means adapted to pivotally support said car body, and a link connecting one end of said lever with one of said pivotally connected supports.

4. In a dumping car, the combination with a car body, running gear, and means adapted to pivotally support said body upon said running gear; of means adapted to maintain said body in a horizontal carrying position, said means comprising a support pivotally connected to said body, a second support pivotally connected to said first named support, a rest for the lower end or said second named support, means adapted to place said supports 1n an extended supporting position and to so maintain them and to flex said supports so as to permit said car body to tilt, said means comprising a bell-crank lever pivotally attached to said means adapted to pivotally support said car body, and a link connecting one end of said lever with one end of said pivotally connected supports; and means adapted to tilt the said car body.

5. In a dumping car, the combination with runnin gear, a car body, and means adapted to plvotally support said body upon said running gear, of a support adapted when in one position to maintain said body in a horizontal carrying position and when in another position to allow said body to tilt, and when in another position to swing freely, means adapted to elevate one side of said body as the same is tilted whereby the contents of said body is allowed to esca e, and means adapted to tilt the said car bo y.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 4th day of April 1914, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM D. SKIDMORE.

Witnesses:

EDMOND CONGAR'BROWN, Lomsn Ennnmn.

ti -ft 

